(see sketch). Near the antenna, the main busses would have to be formed into a "funnel" shape terminating in a cylindrical tube to conform to the rotary joint design. The extent of insulation required has not been established. It will undoubtedly be required on busses at different potentials in the near proximity to each other. The major uncertainty is the insulation required to protect against plasma effects. If this proves to be necessary, it will mean a major weight penalty since it will be required over much of the distribution system. Insulation of the conductors will also aggravate the thermal problem and may require active cooling. Punctures from meteorites will also cause leakage paths. Lewis Research Center personnel who have been studying this problem indicate that, due to a "funneling" effect, the severity of the leakage may be much more than anticipated from small pin-hole size punctures. Configuration Weight/Performance Summary System weights were calculated for the configuration shown in figure IV- B-2-1. In this concept, the concentrators are along the vertical and the solar array channels are 0.5 km wide. The nominal operating voltage is
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